When Words Fail
by KH777
Summary: This is based pre-show/pre-game. Iori is without a shadow of a doubt, Mitsuki's number 1 supporter. However, words are a powerful source, sometimes causing as much harm as good.


This is an _IDOLiSH7_ fanfiction, which obviously means I own nothing. If I did, I would add more fluff between Mitsuki and Iori. Also, for you incest shippers out there, this is _not_ incest, thank you very much. Anyways, since I have only watched six episodes of the anime, I apologize for any inaccuracies, I try to stay as close to canon as possible. This is based on something Iori said, and the timeline is before the events of the show and game.

The raven haired young man's hands flew across the page as he hurried to finish his homework. Normally, he felt that homework was not something to be rushed so, but, he had somewhere he needed to be in minutes. By the time they returned home, his mind would probably not function well enough to do anything like this at a proper level. It's not like he didn't know the answers anyway, so even if he was rushing, he would still earn a decent grade for it. Finishing the last question on the page, he sighed, and set his pencil down on the well-polished table.

Reaching for his school bag, he neatly stuffed the homework inside and paused a moment before closing the top flap. He wondered what they would need for the short trip. Probably water and some snacks, to stay hydrated and at a good energy level while singing and dancing. Pacing over to the kitchen, he found some bottles of water and leftover rice balls from dinner last night.

In a separate bag from the one he used for school, he filled it with the provisions. In the ebony bag, there was also sheet music, an admission pass, train fair, and choreography. Staring at the bag, he racked his brain if he had forgotten anything. However, his train of thought was interrupted when a bundle of excitement and nerves came bounding down the stairs. "Iori! I'm ready now. Are you ready?"

Iori gazed from the bag on the table to his older brother. "Check this and see if I forgot anything."

Mitsuki frowned, but did as was asked, opening the top flap and riffling through the bag. "If you forgot anything, I doubt I would remember it either. All that matters is that the pass is here. Oh awesome, there's food."

"Yes, we will be there for hours."

"This looks good. Let's just get going or we'll miss the train!"

"Right." The orange top hurried out the door as Iori more slowly followed him. He felt he was forgetting something… Hmm… Well, there was no time for that now.

"C'mon! You're too slow!" Mitsuki protested, annoyed, as he urged him forward with hand gestures.

Sighing, the raven made the rest of the way with more haste. "You need to calm down, Nii-san…"

"Pfft, you're not the one who's auditioning." Mitsuki retorted, taking several strides forward ahead of his brother. "Besides, I'm _plenty_ calm!"

"You certainly don't sound calm."

"Be quiet!"

Heeding his request, or more like demand, the sixteen-year-old was silent for a while. He retrieved their train fair as they neared the station. The peach haired young man's steps slowed and he glanced back at his younger brother with a smile. "Thanks for coming with me… It uh, it really helps."

Iori's smile was smaller but still held onto a similar brightness. "I'm glad to help."

He wasn't interested in becoming an idol, but, because his brother was incredibly driven to become one, Iori wanted to support him however he could. It was love for his brother that drove him to act on his behalf. They possessed a bond stronger than most brothers held. The less sizable brother had to reach due to his meager height to wrap an arm around his shoulders, with an even larger grin. "You're the best."

Clearing his throat a little, Iori pointed to the train. "The train is here."

"Oh, right! Let's hurry!" Sentiments temporarily forgotten, he skid over to the vehicle and hurriedly boarded with Iori right behind him. As the small young man headed towards an open seat, someone abruptly stood up, bumping into Mitsuki and dropping the burger he had been eating. The result was splashes of ketchup and mustard all across his expensive, white shirt he had picked specially for the audition today. Enraged, the younger one shouted. "Watch where you're going, you _idiot!_ Now look what you did!"

"You weren't watching where you were going either, kid!"

"I was looking forward so that I didn't bump into anyone! I wasn't expecting some _stupid_ person to _randomly_ stand up!"

"Calm down, Nii-san…" Iori frowned, hand wavering in indecision. "I have ano-"

That was what he had forgotten: a spare pair of clothing. He didn't have another. That was all they had. The train was already moving and it would take too long to double back to the house… What were they going to do? Noticing his pause, Mitsuki whipped around and growled. "You don't have it?! Ugh, forget this! Forget both of you!"

People all around them were staring at the spectacle once he had begun shouting. He stomped over to the far end of the train. Iori chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to think of what he could do to help. He had the closed jacket he was wearing, which was nice enough to classify for an audition but was far too large to fit his older brother… His eyes drifted over to the woman next to the man who had spilled on his brother's shirt. She was sewing.

"Is there any way you could make my jacket smaller without making it look unusual?"

"Of course. But I'll have to cut pieces off so it could ruin it."

"I don't care. Please do whatever you need to." Iori rather liked this jacket of his, but there were far more important things in life than his jacket. Unfortunately for him, the only piece of clothing stopping him from being half naked was a small tank top. He hadn't planned on removing his jacket. As he handed her the jacket, he responded. "How much do I owe you?"

"Oh please, my boyfriend completely destroyed your friend's shirt, think nothing of it." She shook away his response, as she began to work her magic. It took most of the ride there before she produced a jacket much more fitting to Mitsuki's size.

"Thank you." Iori thanked, taking a hold of the jacket and headed over to where his brother was sulking. When the ebony haired boy displayed the jacket, the twenty-year-old's mouth dropped open, completely agape.

"How did you do that?! This is perfect!" Mitsuki snatched the jacket and tried it on confidently.

"I didn't do it. His girlfriend was proficient in sewing."

Silence fell between the brothers as all these new pieces of information sat as they sunk into the older boy's mind. He smiled happily and confidently. "You _really_ are the best. Thanks… Sorry for yelling at you."

Iori shrugged. "It's fine. It's not like you haven't done it before."

The elder gave a sheepish smile as he gazed out the window. "Oh we're here."

Iori nodded, and followed his sibling as the duo headed out the door.

…

The peach top inhaled in and exhaled deep breaths as they neared the building. Scattered around them were dozens, maybe even hundreds of other applicants all applying for the same position. It wasn't the nervousness of performing that was bothering him, but the fear of failure. He knew that he wasn't the best at singing or dancing. There must be many people here who were better than he. Heck, he was certain even his _brother_ who wasn't even _interested_ in becoming an idol was better than him. But, he refused to give up, which is, what landed him here.

"Can we practice one more time before I go in?" Mitsuki requested.

"Sure, Nii-san."

Iori often practiced with Mitsuki. There was only so far he could progress by himself, and with lessons. So, his younger brother had offered to train with him. However, it had not taken long before Mitsuki noticed how much natural talent he possessed for it. It was a blessing and a curse. A blessing for that he could better tell his brother how to improve; however, it irritated him how he had the talent he craved. However, he supposed it didn't matter; Iori wouldn't debut without him, so it could only benefit him. They found a corner where they could actually hear each other before they began.

" _Mikazuki wo mi ni ikou (moonlit night)_

 _Tokubetsu na kyou kimi to ikou_

 _Kaketa tsuki wa sora ni kagayaku_

 _Mayonaka no kage wo haotte…_ "

After they were finished, Mitsuki downed a bottle of water. He headed in as he waved to Iori who wished him luck. Most of the would-be idols had headed in already, so Iori was mostly alone at the time. He was considering whether he wanted to head somewhere in the meantime or wait with the other confidents that were waiting patiently. Having no place to go, he headed inside where the others waiting were. A lot of them were young ladies, probably sisters, friends or girlfriends of the people who were auditioning. Iori felt a little uncomfortable around them, as he was almost half naked. So, he headed further back, reading some photos on the wall about the history of the building they were in. He admired the stationary surrounding the pictures most of all.

"Excuse me, young man."

Broken from his chain of thought, Iori turned around to see a young woman accompanied by a young man. Both of them were dressed in suits and had clipboards. He had a sinking feeling he knew what this was about. This certainly wasn't the first time something like this had happened. "Could we interest you in a position-?"

"Is it for one person?"

"Yes-"

"No thanks. I'm not interested."

"But why? All the young men in here would love such an opportunity." The man piped up.

"Being an idol is not my passion," Iori sighed. While this was true, it certainly wasn't the main reason he had refused. Accepting such an invitation would be the ultimate betrayal to his older brother. He would never do that. He would rather work at a fast food joint the rest of his life, than do that kind of harm to him.

"Is there any way we can convince you? The pay is quite good."

"Only if it's a duet."

"Ah, with the boy who was singing with you?"

"Yes."

"Hmm… Let me call my boss." The two headed away, as Iori returned back to the photos he was gazing at. Nothing ever came of it. None of those who approached him so far were willing to take on _both_ of them so he felt no need to get his hopes up.

…

The line was progressing _painfully_ slowly. Each time the line moved up, it was only by a hair. It may take _hours_ to get through all these people. Some people were socializing to pass the time. Mitsuki impatiently fiddled with the zipper of his jacket. No, it was _Iori's_ jacket, not his own. His shirt was a stained mess. Thank goodness his younger sibling had fixed that, or he would have been forced to skip the audition entirely. Still, it made him stand out from the rest with their more detailed costumes.

"Hey, are you really going to audition in _that_?" Some snarky boy from behind him called. He ignored him for favor of not wasting his energy dealing with anymore idiots today. One was plenty. No more than a minute after he had spoken, a pair of adults in suits approached him.

"Are you Mitsuki Izumi?"

"…Yes?" He questioned, refusing to raise his hopes before he was sure. He had been let down too many times to be that stupid.

"Would you be interested in a position for-"

"Heck yes! Let's go!" Mitsuki interrupted with a wide smile, not even letting the person finish their sentence. He didn't care what it was; he'd take anything at this point. Even if it was only a backup singer, it was much better than nothing.

"That's wonderful to hear. Follow me please."

As he was passing the other contestants, they frowned at him in longing and some looks of jealousy. One of them quipped, "How did that shorty manage that?!"

Mitsuki stopped in his tracks and glared at the crowd accusingly. "Who said that?!"

However, no one appeared to be guilty, so he huffed and continued on his way. They brought him to a conference room with a long table. Once there, they told him the conditions of his job. He would sing with one other person for one song that would be recorded. That was much more than he had been expecting, so he was so giddy and elated that he missed most of the details and even the name of the person he would be working with. Afterwards, some people came in to check his measurements so they could tailor an outfit for him and gave him some sheet music to practice on.

Once he was out, he was walking so speedily that he almost missed his raven haired companion who was staring at a photo in a corner of the room. "Iori! Iori! Guess what!?"

Turning to face his brother, he blanched a little, surprised that he was ignorant for the reason he had attained success. _He doesn't know?_ However, Mitsuki paid no attention to Iori's slight appalled expression. "I actually managed a position in a duet! For a company! Isn't this _awesome_!?"

The raven placed his hand in front of his mouth to mask his expression before it was detected. "…Yes, of course."

Placing his hands on his hips, the peach top scowled accusingly. "You don't sound very happy about it."

Not fancying the idea of crashing his brother's hopes, Iori lied. "I am. I'm just shocked is all."

"Why are you so shocked?! Do you think I'm _that_ terrible?"

"N-no, I just… Erm, it's difficult to get noticed in a group this size for anyone, despite their talents."

Fortunately for him, Mitsuki seemed satisfied with that answer. "Well, we had better head back so I can practice."

"Want me to practice with you?"

"Sure! It'll probably help."

…..

That night, sleep had evaded both siblings. Iori's insomnia was due to his decision not to tell his brother the truth. Really, with all the events of today, he was exhausted. But he was mulling over if his decision was the right one. He knew it wasn't. It would probably be the most merciful if it came from his mouth. This was probably just going to enrage him more than he would be normally. But on the other hand, after how hard both of them had worked together, he didn't want to be the one to wreck his self-esteem like that. It was selfish and weak, he knew it was wrong. Well, he would learn tomorrow anyway…

On the other hand, Mitsuki was excited to the point that he couldn't sleep. There were some nerves there too, but they were drowned out by the thoughts of happiness over what lies before him tomorrow. Maybe this would be his chance to finally achieve his dreams of being like Zero… He knew he needed to calm down so he could sleep, but he couldn't do it! How could he ever stay calm about something like this?! Eventually, he decided he might as well get some dance practice in if he couldn't sleep.

The next day rolled around quickly, neither of the young men getting nearly enough sleep needed for the day ahead. There was nothing to be done about it when sleep is so elusive. The train ride to the location did not go fast enough for Mitsuki, but could not go slow enough for Iori. He was dreading meeting up with his brother there, but it was too late to tell him now. They hadn't even taken the same trains.

Unfortunately, their first meeting _had_ to be once they were inside the building and in front of prying eyes. It had only taken a few seconds full of tense anticipation as Mitsuki pieced the truth together on his own. The ebony haired boy flinched as the expected explosion came. "What the heck, Iori?! Do you think I'm a little kid who would be crushed by the truth?! You forget that _I'm_ the _older_ brother! I don't need to be coddled by you!"

Storming off the hallway, the employees made sure to skid out of his way. One of them approached Iori calmly. "…Will this be a problem?"

Iori frowned. "Just give him a little time. It'll be fine."

Nodding, they left him in silence. Iori was regretting his decision more by the second. Now, because of his selfishness, everyone around was going to have a poor impression of his brother. It was all his fault. Why hadn't his brother just paid attention when the man had told him the details? If he had, this whole mess could have been avoided.

After he had given him time to calm down, Iori headed towards the bathroom, assuming his brother had headed there. Once he had arrived, his brother's back was to him, drying off his face from rinsing it in the sink. "…Is that you, Nii-san?"

"Yes it's me." Iori responded, a bit surprised by his older brother not calling him by name.

"Look, I…" His voice cracked and he shook his head. "I'm sorry… I don't have any _right_ to get mad at you like I do… You've done so much for me."

"No, it's alright… What I did wasn't right. I should have told you right away-"

"I don't care if what you did was wrong! I'm an adult. I should be able to control myself…!"

 _Is he crying? There's no need for this…_ Iori frowned. He was getting way too bent out of shape for this. Iori wasn't even upset that he had yelled at him. He had deserved it. "Nii-san, venting out your emotions sometimes can be healthy. Holding them in just causes them to build. Besides, I'm not someone whose feelings are hurt easily. I can handle it just fine."

"That's _not_ the point! You have to go to high school, you have a life, and you spend a _lot_ of your time to help me… and your reward is me yelling at you! It's not right…"

"It's not like that… You help me whenever I need it as well."

"When do _you_ need help…?"

"With homework at times; you've done all the subjects I've done before."

"Yeah, but that's..."

"I don't think the amount of help needed is important. What matters is that you have the willingness to do it."

"I guess you're right…"

The elder young man took a deep breath and hit his cheeks to snap him out of it. After he had calmed down sufficiently, he spoke again, voice no longer shaky. "…Right then. We should get going before they get mad for waiting for us."

"Yes, if you're ready for it."

"Course I am! Let's go." Mitsuki grinned, as the two of them headed out to shine, unknowing that this was not the last time such an event would occur.

 _Fin_

 _Sorry if the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, I wasn't sure how to continue this or end it another way since it's only a one-shot. Hope you enjoyed the story, whoever is reading this!_


End file.
